The Dallas County immunization clinic was quiet on a recent rainy day except for half a dozen families chatting among themselves.

Corey Brooks, 11, bounced his head to some music before being called back for four quick shots. He and his mom were in and out within about 15 minutes.

“Look at how empty we are this morning,” clinic supervisor Patricia Cook said. “But then after next week, they’ll be packed all along the waiting room and down the hall and asking why it’s taking so long. Year after year after year after year — procrastination.”

Cook and other area officials are bracing for the back-to-school rush as parents race to get children up to date on immunizations. They encourage families to make time to visit walk-in clinics early or even one of the upcoming fairs as lines can easily reach a three-hour wait once late August approaches.

State law requires students to be current on their immunizations before they can begin class. Those without immunizations are turned away on the first day of school.

“We had 200 to 300 kids in here on the first day of school who couldn’t get to class last year,” said Zachary Thompson, Dallas County Health and Human Services director.

So officials try to get the word out early that parents shouldn’t put off getting shots, he said.

In Collin County, the Frisco school district started working on immunization efforts after spring break during the last school year. Officials checked each student’s records and sent multiple reminders to families, said Kathy Tolbert, the district’s co-coordinator of health services. The district held a clinic in April, but it didn’t have a high turnout.

So Tolbert said officials decided to hold a clinic Aug. 6, closer to when school starts. Additionally, she said, students who do not have current records on file will not receive class assignments during meet-the-teacher nights for elementary grades. Secondary-school students not current will learn they have a hold on their schedules during their orientation days.

“We try to tell them to get it done early because if they don’t, there’s going to be long lines,” Tolbert said. “Still, it does seem like it is getting better every year.”

Corey’s mom, Audrey Brooks, said she took a day off from work on Friday to run back-to-school errands, including a stop at Dallas County’s walk-in clinic for shots.

“I never wait until the last minute for that,” the mother of three children said. “You avoid the crowds this way, and it’s important for kids’ health.”

Follow Eva-Marie Ayala on Twitter at @evamarieayala.

Where to get immunizations

Dallas County

The county has walk-in clinics that are generally open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $10 for the first visit and $5 for subsequent visits. County health officials are also offering immunizations during the annual Mayor’s Back to School Fair from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at Fair Park and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug 10 at the DeSoto Freshman Campus, 620 S. Westmoreland Road. A Saturday clinic will be on Aug. 17 at the clinic located at 2377 N. Stemmons Freeway in Dallas. The county walk-in clinics are at:

The county offers shots on a sliding scale that is up to $14 a shot during weekdays at the Collin County Health Care Service’s office, 825 N. McDonald St., Suite 130, in McKinney. Families without insurance can receive immunizations from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday during a health fair at the Community Health Center, 2520 K Ave. in Plano.

The Frisco school district is partnering with other groups to have a clinic from 4 to 7 p.m. Aug. 6 at the Student Opportunity Center, 6928 Maple St. in Frisco. Families must bring vaccination records as well as a copy of their insurance card and the driver’s license of the primary insured person. Accepted insurances are select Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO plans, United HealthCare PPO, Aetna PPO, CHIP and Medicaid. Shots are $10 each for those children without insurance.

Denton County

The county offers immunizations for the uninsured and for those on CHIP or Medicaid. The cost is $10 per vaccine per child. No appointment is needed. The main health department clinic, at 535 S. Loop 288, Suite 1003, in Denton, is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday. It is closed for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Outreach clinics are from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at The Colony Church of Christ, 6404 Paige Road, on the third Wednesday of the month and from 1:30 to 3:15 p.m. at the Carrollton WIC Office, 3044 Old Denton Road, on the first and third Wednesdays of the month.

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